^^ 



/)' 






»4 L8 r I h^o ftO 



•"v 1 M ->/,'.,^^/^^ 



Texas Bi-Centennial 




AND 

Pan American Exposition ' 




200th ANNIVERSARY OF 

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, 1918 




Report of Special Commissioner 

SHOWING 

PLAN of ORGANIZATION and OPERATION 

OF 

San Francisco and San Diego Expositions 

i^ GEO. F. LUPTON, 

'/ C^ """•^ SPECIAL COMMISSIONER 

sf // SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS 








By Transfnr 

FEB 20 1917 



SPECIAL COMMISSIONER'S REPORT: 

At the request of the Board of Commissioners, my report, in 
synopsis form, is herewith presented for the use of the people of San 
Antonio and the State of Texas. I was selected as Special Commis- 
sioner to visit the cities of San Francisco and San Diegro to obtain 
certain data for the use and guidance of the Officers of the Texas 
Bi-Centennial and Pan-American Exposition. In presenting the same, 
particular attention is called to the importance, and the benefits to 
be derived by the people of this City, and of this State, by reason of 
the holding of this Exposition. I arrived at my conclusion by being 
upon the ground at both places where the recent Expositions were 
held, and in conversation with practically all the men who were instru- 
mental in bringing about both of said Expositions. The officers of the 
San Francisco Exposition, and the people of San Francisco, are a unit 
upon the statement that it was the greatest event that could have 
possibly happened to the City of San Francisco. 

San Francisco suffered a calamity such as befalls few cities in 
this world, and the people there attribute the rehabilitation largely 
to the publicity and to the benefit that was derived from the Exposi- 
tion. In addition to that, there was a Civic spirit aroused in the com- 
munity that was felt in every other organization and in every line of 
business. People learned how to work together for the Exposition, and 
that made them work together on every other thing of a public 
nature. 

SAN DIEGO: 

I need only say that it was a city of something like 39,000 
inhabitants when the agitation for the Exposition first began, and 
today it is a metropolis of over 90,000,, due wholly and solely, I am 
reliably informed by their own people, to the publicity obtained and 
the showing made by the San Diego Exposition. 

I wish to dwell especially upon the question of people taking 
financial interest in the Exposition. I found people in every walk of life 
eager and anxious to do their proper share. The mechanic, the merch- 
ant, the clerk, the banker, and the professional man took pride in sub- 
scribing their proper share toward the financial strength of the Expo- 
sition; and I found that all of them, although not expecting a cash 
'return upon their money, looked upon it as an investment beneficial to 
them individually and to the city at large. The City Government, the 
County Government, and the State bore their just proportion of the 
expense of this great enterprise. I want to say to the people of San 
Antonio that nothing, in my judgment, will be of greater benefit to 
this community than the holding of this Exposition. 

The publicity that will be given to the City of San Antonio, 
almost immediately and lasting over three years, cannot but be of 
the greatest value to San Antonio, and not only to the city, but to our 
own immediate section. We will begin to have inquiries from all 
parts of the United States. The eyes of investors from all parts of 
the country will be turned in this direction. They will come here and 
examine our city and our territory, and long before the Exposition 
opens, we will begin to hear the hum of industry and see the wheels 
of prosperity come our way. 

San Antonio has an opportunity in this enterprise that 
falls to very few^ cities, and we should take advantage of it in 
no half-hearted manner, but all should work together and not permit 
a "knocker" to show his head. You cannot take a trip into the terri- 
tory where I have been and not come back convinced that our terri- 
tory, and our city, is just as able to do what California has done. 

In my small way, if I have been able to be of some slight service 
to the Exposition and the City of San Antonio by bringing this data 



to their notice, I shall rest content if it will help direct the mind 
toward united effort in the consummation of this great project. 

The Following Letter Speaks for Itself : 

"THE UNITED STATES NATIONAL BANK 
OF SAN DIEGO, 
"United States Depository, 

SAN DIEGO, CAL., February 23, 1916. 
"Mr. Geo. F. Lupton, 
"U. S. Grant Hotel, 
San Diego, Calif. 
"My dear Mr. Lupton: 

"In reply to your question as to the benefit that San Diego has 
received from its Exposition will say that at the time the Exposition 
for San Diego was at first considered, (1909), we had a population of 
approximately 45,000 people, and the census of 1910 gave us 39,800. 
Our population today is between 90,000 and 100,000. This increase 
in our population is entirely due, I believe, to the publicity that San 
Diego has received from the Exposition. 

"Our sole idea in giving the Exposiition was to offer to the people 
of the United States an excuse for coming to San Diego, knowing that 
a great many who came would like San Diego and locate here. The 
increase in our population proves that we were not mistaken. 

"The holding of an Exposition in San Diego has also increased 
the civic pride of our citizens, which has resulted in a vast amount of 
improvement to private property, and an enormous amount of public 
work, such as paving, park improvement and public work of all kinds. 

"The enormous amount of publicity that San Diego has received 
by reason of the Exposition could not have been bought, and the con- 
census of opinion here is that the Exposition has paid for itself ten 
times over. 

"I am glad indeed to hear that San Antonio is going to cele- 
brate with an Exposition, and if I can be of any assistance to you in 
furnishing you with information, I hope that you will feel perfectly 
free to call upon me. 

"Very truly yours, 

(Signed) "F. C. SPALDING." 

"President." 
San Antonio, Texas, February 29th, 1916. 
Hon. William Cassin, President, 
and 
Board of Directors, 
Texas Bi-Centennial and Pan-American Exposition : 
Gentlemen : 

In accordance with the instructions of your honorable body, 
the undersigned, having been appointed a Special Commissioner, 
visited the Panama-Pacific International Exposition at San Francisco 
and the Panama-California Exposition at San Diego, for the purpose 
of gathering concise and reliable informaton relative to the plans of 
oruanization of said Expositions: 

I have the honor to submit the following report: 

SAN FRANCISCO EXPOSITION: r^nr. 

PLAN OF ORGANIZATION: 

The organization began in 1906. In January, 1906, a bill was 
introduced in Congress, giving notice of the holding of the Exposi- 
tion. On account of the calamity in San Francisco in 1906 from fire, 
no definite action was taken in Congress. 

On December 7, 1909, a public meeting was held in San Fran- 



Cisco at which time it was unanimously decided to hold an Exposi- 
tion in 1915. 

A citizens committee of five, consisting of the heads of the 
various commercial organizations, was appointed on ''Ways and 
Means," which committee was afterward increased to two hundred 
members and added to from time to time. 

This ''Ways and Means" Committee shortly afterward ap- 
pointed a committee of three to name a committee of thirty as a 
Board of Directors. 

The "Ways and Means" Committee met and confirmed the 
appointment of the Board of Directors, which remained in existence 
to the end of the Exposition — with few exceptions on account of 
death and resignations. 

This Board of Directors took active charge in March, 1910, 
incorporated under the name of "Panama-Pacific International Expo- 
sition Company." 
METHOD OF RAISING MONEY: 

Money was raised in three ways : 

First: By Public subscription to Exposition stock. 

Second: By State tax. 

Third : By Municipal bond issue. 

About $20,000.00 was preliminarily subscribed by thirty men, 
who ultimately became Directors of the Exposition. 

Money actually amounting to $30,000.00 was borrowed from 
the bank. Security for this was the subscription which had been 
promised by a number of prominent citizens. 
SUBSCRIPTION: 

Public sentiment and enthusiasm in the City of San Francisco, 
as well as the entire State of California, was worked up to such an 
extent as to make it comparatively easy to get people to subscribe to 
the Exposition stock. This sentiment was at "fever heat" when the 
critical moment arrived to open the books of Stock subscription, the 
result being that at one meeting held in San Francisco on April 28, 
1910, in the Merchants Exchange Building, there were $4,089,000.00 
subscribed within a few hours by the citizens and business men of 
San Francisco. This amount was subsequently added to, until the 
total subscription reached $6,180,000.00, and of these subscriptions, 
about 93 per cent was collected. 
SUBSCRIPTION BLANKS: 

Method of raising Subscriptions was that Subscription Blank 
was signed by a subscriber, agreeing to make his payments monthly, 
quarterly or annually, for five years, as he preferred, this number of 
years being reduced for later subscriptions, so that the final payment 
of all subscriptions would not be later than January 1, 1915 — the 
opening date of the Exposition being February 20, 1915. 

These Subscription Blanks appointed certain voting Trustees, 
who held practically all the shares of stock, except those issued to 
the Directors to enable them to qualify. These Trustees issued Trust 
certificates when subscriptions were paid up, and they voted the 
stock at the Annual meetings elected by the Board of Directors. 
EQUAL BASIS OF SUBSCRIPTION: 

The following information was of the greatest importance 
before starting out on a Stock Subscription campaign, as it gave an 
equitable basis, showing the amount expected of each firm or busi- 
ness man. A list was prepared showing the 

BUSINESS: RATING: ANNUAL OPERATIONS: INCOME: 

of 

•Banks, Manufacturers, Merchants, 

Public Utility Corporations, Capitalists, Insurance Cos., etc. 



Subscribers expect to be placed as nearly as possible on an 
equal basis, considering income, however, the effect of an Exposition 
upon certain enterprises has an important bearing. 
PRELIMINARY WORKING FUNDS: 

Your Commissioner understands that $200,000.00 was desig- 
nated, set aside and made available for Preliminary and Promotion 
work. This amount was sufficient to prosecute and carry on the 
Preliminary work until the increased amount of subscription pay- 
ments were paid in. 

A Finance Committee of seventy-five had previously been 
appointed. 

On April 28, 1910, a monster mass meeting was held in the 
Merchants Exchange Building, when the books were opened for sub- 
scriptions. Within two hours a sum of $4,089,000.00 was subscribed. 
The matter of subscription was vigorously prosecuted after this meet- 
ing, which finally resulted in a total subscription of $6,180,000.00. 
Of these subscriptions, as already stated, about 93 per cent have been 
collected 
SUPPORT OF ALL NEWSPAPERS: 

From the first announcement of the citizens* meeting to deter- 
mine whether there should be an Exposition held, there had been the 
utmost enthusiasm in the city, and the Newspapers had been full of 
suggestions made by different parties for the good of the Exposition. 
This enthusiasm was made even greater by the wonderful result of 
the meeting at which more than four million dollars was raised. The 
Newspapers, of course, printed a coniplete account of the meeting at 
which the money was raised, giving the names of subscribers, and as 
this work was prosecuted vigorously for some time, the Newspapers 
always announced the additional subscriptions. Careful attention 
was given to see that the whole city was covered as well as possible. 
ELECTION OF OFFICERS: 

The Honorable C. C. Moore was elected President, who gave 
his exclusive time and work without compensation. 
PRESIDENT MOORE'S REQUIREMENT: 

It is worthy of note that among the conditions President 
Moore imposed in connection with his acceptance of the office there 

WAS ONE THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO PATRONAGE; that all appointments 

to positions in the Exposition should be solely for merit, and that NO 
Director of the Exposition would ask for the employment of 
ANYONE, or make any recommendation for the employment of anyone. 
That the President, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors, 
would appoint the Executive Heads of the Exposition, and that these 
officials in turn, would be held responsible for the efficiency of those 
employed under them. This rule was rigidly adhered to, with the 
result that no one was employed except on the basis of merit, which 
resulted in a high degree of efficiency among employes. 
ORGANIZATION: 

The organization consisted of a Director-in-Chief, and the heads 
of four main divisions, as follows: 

Division of Works. 

Division of Exhibits. 

Division of Exploitation. 

Division of Concessions and Admissions. 

The Director-in-Chief presided over the Division of Exhibits 
and Exploitation; and the Director-in-Chief, together with the four 
Division Directors, constituted the President's Executive Staff. 

Each of these divisions was subdivided into various depart- 
ments, reporting to the Directors of the Divisions. 

There were also appointed committees from the Board of Di- 



rectors to outline the policies of these various divisions, the President 
being ex-officio members of all committees, and all committees re- 
ported directly to him— the President being the Executive and Legisla- 
tive head of the Exposition. 
SELECTION OF SITE: 

Practically the whole of the following year was devoted to 
selection of the site and publicity incident to the Exposition. 
APPOINTMENT OF AN ARCHITECTURAL COMMISSION: 

About the time the Director of Works was appointed, provi- 
sion was made for an Architectural Commission to take up the matter 
of planning the site and buildings. 
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETINGS: 

In the early history of the Exposition, the Board of Directors 
met frequently, but later on the work of the Directorate was handled 
more and more by the Executive Committee, consisting of twelve 
members of the Board. This committee met weekly. Still later on it 
was found advisable to appoint a Sub-committee of this Executive 
Committee, consisting of four members and the . President, which 
Committee for a long time met daily and passed on matters of policy, 
etc., requiring immediate attention. 
EMPLOYMENT BUREAU: 

All persons applying for employment were required to fill out 
an application blank and file same with the Employment Bureau, 
which was organized with a man in charge under the Comptroller. 
When any official required any help, he sent to this Bureau, stating 
his requirements, and was furnished with a list of applicants, and 
selection was made as to the help needed. 
WOMAN'S BOARD: 

A W^oman's Board was organized by prominent women of the 
city. The work of the women was under the control of this Board, 
which was a Sub-committee of the Exposition, and was empowered 
to conduct Social features, and in exploitation of similar events. 

The Woman's organization formed sub-organizations in each 
county of the State, all of which did very effective and most valuable 
Exploitation work. The Woman's Board was incorporated at $10.00 
per share, after which membership was open to the women of the 
State, and a fee of $2.00 per member was collected. 
SEASON TICKETS: 

Another very important feature which resulted in a large rev- 
enue, as w^ell as an enormous amount of public advertising in Califor- 
nia, was: 

There were 50,000 individual Season Tickets of admission sold 
for $10.00 each. This brought in a revenue of $500,000.00. These 
individual season tickets were good for admission of the holder, whose 
photograph appeared on each ticket, during the entire Exposition per- 
iod, and, of course, by having the owner's photograph, it was not pos- 
sible for them to be used by other people. This plan was emi- 
nently successful because it enabled holders to be ''walking" advertise- 
ments for the Fair, and brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars 
in admissions at the regular rate. 
EDUCATIONAL FEATURES: 

In order to gain publicity and create the very best of feeling 
on the part of the public officials in San Francisco, and in the State 
of California, school children under twelve years of age were admitted 
to the Exposition every Saturday at the rate of fifteen cents each. On 
each Monday (being a school day) school children in classes of twenty 
or more under the control of a school teacher, were admitted into the 
Exposition grounds at five cents each, the teacher also paying five 
cents. This afforded hundreds of thousands of school children and 



school teachers an opportunity to visit the Exposition from an educa- 
tional standpoint, and it also was the means of inducing schools located 
at interior towns to send their children to the Exposition. 

The advertising features resulting from the school children's 
admissions broug^ht the adult people in hundreds of thousands from 
not only the City of San Francisco, but from the entire State as well. 

PALACES AND EXHIBITS: 

The Exhibits were grouped in eleven departments known as : 

Dept. A. Fine Arts. 

Dept. B. Education. 

Dept. C. Social Economy. 

Dept. D. Liberal Arts. 

Dept. E. Manufacturers and Varied Industries. 

Dept. F. Machinery. 

Dept. G. Transportation. 

Dept. H. Agriculture. 

Dept. I. Live Stock. 

Dept. K. Horticulture. 

Dept. L. Mines and Metallurgy. 

EXHIBITS: 

All of the Main exhibit Palaces were completed and turned over 
to the various Departments for installation of exhibits six months prior 
to the opening of the Exposition. • 

A great saving of expense was had on account of the uniform- 
ity of the material used in construction, and the artistic and pleasing 
color schemes. Mr. Jules Guieron, the celebrated French artist, was 
employed for this purpose. 

The Auditorium was built in the civic center for Conventions, 
Congresses, etc., costing aipproximately $1,300,000.00, and it is claim- 
ed that more than 900 Congresses and Meetings were held in this 
building during the Exposition period. It is also claimed that there 
were over 600,000 convention people that left approximately $40,000,- 
000.00 in the City of San Francisco. The Chamber of Commerce 
worked in perfect harmony with t)he Exposition Officials in securing 
these conventions. 

AUTOMOBILES: 

On account of safety of pedestrians, automobiles were excluded 
from entering the grounds, with some variations. 

Those holding permits entered only at one gate and were 
restricted in their movements. By this means there was not a single 
accident that occurred on the grounds. 

TOTAL ADMISSIONS: 

There were nearly 19,000,000 people that passed through the 
gates, and the Exposition managers attributed a great deal of this 
success to the cordial and liberal support given by all railroads, steam- 
ship lines, and other methods of transportation entering the City of 
San Francisco. In fact, it was plainly stated that without the co-op- 
eration of the newspapers, the railroads and steamship lines, it would 
have been impossible to have made the Exposition a success. 

The total Gate receipts during the Exposition period, Febru- 
ary 20 to December 4, 1915, was $4,715,523.05, and Concessions 
revenue $1,827,055.92. 

The San Francisco Exposition was operated for 288 days at a 
total cost of $5,305,100.00, and the gross income was $8,145,200.00. 



RECAPITULATION OF MONEY RAISED: 

By Popular Subscription $ 6,180,000.00 

By City Bond Issue (Charter Amendment).... 5,000,000.00 
By State Taxation (Constitutional Amd't).... 5,000,000.00 

$16,180,000.00 
U. S. Government appropriated $500,000.00 for 
building, and for the care and expenses of 
Government exhibits $ 500,000.00 

$16,680,000.00 

I am submitting, in addition to this, many other Reports of a 
technical nature, which are of no interest to the public at this time, 
but which I submit to you for the benefit of the Directors in the con- 
ducting of their work. 
REPORT FROM SAN DIEGO: 

I deem it unnecessary to go into details of the Organization at 
San Diego, because practically the method adopted at San Francisco 
was adopted at San Diego, except at San Diego it was on a smaller scale. 
However, I deem it of great importance las far as San Antonio is con- 
cerned, because our Exposition will more nearly resemble in size that 
of San Diego. In my humble opinion, the San Diego Exposition is the 
most beautiful and attractive of any that has ever been held in the 
United States. 

The City of Los Angeles was very much interested in the San 
Diego Exposition, and rendered great aid, both in a financial and 
moral way. Of the thirty-one Directors, ten were from Los Angeles. 
The Board of Control was composed of seven members. The Execu- 
tive Committee constituted the Administrative Cabinet of the Presi- 
dent. The Executive Staff consisted of the Director General in 
Charge, Director General of Exhibits, Director General of Exploita- 
tion and Publicity, and Director of Concessions and Admissions. 
HOW MONEY WAS RAISED: 

San Diego raised in funds $2,700,000.00, as follows : 

$1,000,000.00 by Public Stock subscription; $1,700,000.00 by 
City Bond issue for permanent improvements in city parks, in which 
the Exposition was held. 

There urns no financial aid fi^om the Federal Government. 

$68,101.88 was the preliminary amount used for publicity work, 
Exploitation, Department expenses, etc. Total number of subscribers 
to the popular fund exceeded 3,500 people. 

The Street department, without cost to the Exposition, took 
care of cleaning the streets, and the Fire department, likewise, took 
charge of the fire station, and the Park department took charge of 
the beautification of the grounds. 

The State of California voted, throuerh its Legislature, $250,- 
000.00 for a State building. 
TOTAL AMOUNT RAISED FROM ALL SOURCES: 

San Diego raised by Popular subscription. $1,000,000.00 

City Bond issue, for Permament improvements 

in city park, in which Exposition was held.... 1,700,000.00 
California State, by vote of Legislature, appro- 
priated for State building 250,000.00 

Total $2,950,000.00 

AMOUNT EXPENDED FOR PREPARATION OF GROUNDS: 

Grading, paving roads, sewers, retaining walls, 

soil, irrigation, bridges, etc. $630,608.58 



SEVEN BUILDINGS ERECTED BY THE FAIR ASSOCIATION: 

The Fair Association erected seven buildings of an average 
cost of about $60,000.00 each, besides a number of Admin- 
istration buildings aggregating $120,000.00. 

CALIFORNIA COUNTIES ERECTED FIVE BUILDINGS: 

The seven Southern Counties building's cost about $80,000.00 
The San Joaquin Valley counties buildings cost.... 25,000.00 

Sacramento Valley counties buildings cost :... 25,000.00 

($10,000.00 of which was supplied by the Expo- 
sition because of permanent location on Main 

Plaza) 

Kern and Tulare counties buildings cost about 15,000.00 

Alameda and Santa Clara counties 10,000.00 

We found that everything connected with the San Diego Expo- 
sition was strictly "up-to-date" and first class. 

The buildings are of a permanent structure and are to be turned 
over to the City government as a permanent Park improvement. 

The location of the Exposition grounds is the most beautiful 
that could have been hald. Distance by electric car, about ten minutes 
from the city. 

The Exposition management purchased three of the San Diego 
green houses at the outset and raised all the beautiful shrubbery, 
palms and flowers, such as was never equaled anywhere, and which 
make the entire "setting" a "Paradise of Beauty." 

SPECIAL POSTAGE STAMP: 

The Post Office department issued a special postage stamp com- 
memorating the Exposition, which was beneficial in the way of pub- 
licity, and which was used on all mail leaving the postoffices of San 
Francisco and San Diego. 

In conclusion, I wish to say that this trip has been an education 
in the way of Civic pride, to me. I never saw a people so much 
a unit in trying to forward the interest of their whole territory, than 
the people of Southern California. You hardly land there before some 
one begins to discuss the beauties and attractions, the richness of the 
soil, and the wonderful climate, and I could not help but feel that we 
are somewhat lacking in that respect in our section of Texas, and if 
this Exposition that we are contemplating will result in encouraging 
that spirit in our people, that alone will be worth the cost of the Expo- 
sition. 

San Antonio is destined to be one of the great cities of this 
Continent, as nature has done everything possible for us, and it only 
behooves us to present our case to the world with the same energy 
that the people of California are doing, in order to make this city and 
this State one of the most populous of the United States. 

If San Diego has succeeded in such a wonderful manner as 
receives the admiration of everyone who visits it, located, as it is, 125 
miles from the Trunk Line railways, and with only one railroad 
of importance entering it, what could San Antonio do, havinsr four or 
five Trunk Lines and over fifteen hundred miles nearer the Commer- 
cial centers of the United States? Besides this, San Antonio is pre- 
eminently the Gateway into all the Pan-American countries. 

Your Commissioner acknowledges, with very orreat pleasure, 
the extreme courtesy and assistance rendered him bv every officer 
with whom he had business in San Francisco and in San Diego. 

Respectfully submitted, 

Geo. F. Lupton, 

Commissioner. 



1 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



029 985 445 # 



MAVERICK-CLARKE LITHO CO. 
SAN ANTONIO, TCXAU 



^ r 



\ 



^'^"^"^"nii* 



029 985 445 



